Flower pigmentation in pelargonium hortorum
The present invention relates to novel Pelargonium hortorum -interspecific plants having dark red to burgundy or darker pigmented flower petal, qa trailing growth habit, dark leaf color and tolerance to high temperatures, high light and edema. The present invention also relates to methods for creating novel Pelargonium hortorum -interspecific hybrid plants having dark red to burgundy or darker pigmented flower petal, a trailing growth habit and tolerance to high temperatures, high light and edema.
1. A Pelargonium hortorum plant having anthocyanin content of at least about 26 mg per gram petal dry weight, wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant is a Pelargonium hortorum interspecific, wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant is obtained by crossing a plant grown from the seed deposited under NCIMB No. 41515 with another Pelargonium hortorum or itself.
2. The Pelargonium hortorum plant of claim 1 , wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant has a cyanidin/peonidin concentration greater than 6.9 mg·g-1 dry weight of petal, wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant is a Pelargonium hortorum interspecific.
3. The Pelargonium hortorum plant of claim 1 , wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant has a cyanidin/peonidin concentration between 6.9 mg·g-1 dry weight of petal and 23.0 mg·g-1 dry weight of petal, wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant is a Pelargonium hortorum interspecific, wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant is obtained by crossing a plant of the present invention.
4. The Pelargonium hortorum plant of claim 1 , wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant has a pelargonidin concentration less than 7.3 mg·g-1 dry weight of petal, wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant is a Pelargonium hortorum interspecific, wherein the Pelargonium hortorum plant is obtained by crossing a plant of the present invention.
5. The Pelargonium hortorum interspecific of claim 1 , wherein the Pelargonium hortorum interspecific is Pelargonium hortorum x peltatum interspecific.
6. A method of introducing a desired trait into a Pelargonium plant wherein the method comprises: (a) crossing a first parent Pelargonium hortorum plant with a second parent Pelargonium plant that comprises a desired trait to produce progeny plants wherein the desired trait is anthocyanin content of at least about 26 mg per petal dry weight, wherein the second Pelargonium hortorum plant is from the seed deposited under NCIMB No. 41515; and (b) selecting one or more progeny plants that have the desired trait to produce selected progeny plants.
7. A Pelargonium plant having anthocyanin content of at least about 26 mg per gram petal dry weight produced by the method of claim 6 .